Hippeastrum plant named ‘Orlando’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct aneuploid (2n=43) moderately tall  Hippeastrum  hybrid plant named ‘Orlando’ measuring approximately 13-14.5 cm long, approximately 14-16 cm wide laterally, approximately 17-19 cm wide dorsal-ventrally. The flowers are densely striated pink-purple approximately RHS Red Purple 66A on their upper surfaces, with a broad white RHS 155D keel.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: ‘Orlando’ is anew amaryllis plant that is a Hippeastrum Herb.

Variety denomination: The amaryllis plant claimed is of the varietydenominated ‘Orlando’, Hippeastrum Herb.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a new and distinct complex hybrid ofHippeastrum Herb., commonly known as amaryllis, a member of the familyAmaryllidaceae, and is henceforth referred to by the cultivar name‘Orlando’.

‘Orlando’ originated as a cross made by the inventor in 2001 as part ofa breeding program in Miami, Fla., USA. The objectives of the breedingprogram are to develop new amaryllis varieties with novel floral formand coloration and heat tolerance. The female parent is a proprietaryselection of the complex cross (Hippeastrum ambiguum×H. papilio)×H.brasilianum labeled with the breeder's code 101-5. The pollen parent isthe non-patented commercial Hippeastrum ‘Wonderland’.

The new cultivar was selected on the basis of large flowers with deeppink-purple coloration contrasted by a broad median white stripe on thetepals. Over the course of seven years of evaluation, ‘Orlando’ hasshown excellent heat resistance, grown under ambient conditions inOrlando, Fla. under 50% shade, and resistance to Red Scorch fungus(Staganospora curtisii).

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by twin-scale cuttings taken ina controlled environment in Miami, Fla. has shown that the uniquefeatures of this new amaryllis are stable and reproduced true to type insuccessive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Orlando’. It is contrasted with itsparents in Table 1. These characteristics in combination distinguish‘Orlando’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1) Deep cerise pink color, RHS66A, of the tepals with very bold white, RHS 155D, stripe along keels.

TABLE 1 Comparison of Hippeastrum ‘Orlando’ and its two parent plants.Characteristic ‘Orlando’ Clone 101-5 ‘Wonderland’ No. scapes per 3 2 2season Scape height (cm) 40-65.7 40-55 40-60 No. firs. per scape 4-6 4 4Flr. color Cerise pink and Deep pink-purple, Pink-purple clear whitewhite keels. and light white

Of the numerous commercial cultivars of amaryllis familiar to theinventor, the most similar to the new Hippeastrum ‘Orlando’ isHippeastrum ‘Wonderland’ (unpatented), from which ‘Orlando’ differs byits larger flowers, the cerise pink (approximately RHS Red Purple 66A)color of the tepals, and the broader and more pronounced white, RHS155D, stripes along the keel of the flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

FIGS. 1A and 1B are gray scale pictures of the flowers of Hippeastrumhybrid ‘Orlando’ showing the locations of colorimeter readings in Table2 below.

FIGS. 2 and 3 are photographs of the flower of Hippeastrum hybrid‘Orlando’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The cultivar Orlando has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

Color descriptions below are based on evaluations with a Minolta CR-400colorimeter at CIE D65/2⁰ illumination/viewer conditions. The colorparameters correspond to the uniform color space CIELAB, derived fromGonnet (Journal of Horticultural Science, Volume 68, 499-510, 1993; FoodChemistry, Volume 63, 409-415, 1998). Two color coordinates, a* and b*,as well as a psychometric index of lightness, L*, are defined. The L* isa measurement of luminosity, i.e., the equivalence of each color on thegray scale, ranging from 0 (black) to 100 (white). The a* takes positivevalues (0 to +60) for reddish colors and negative values (0 to −60) forthe greenish ones, whereas the b* takes positive values (0 to +60) foryellowish colors and negative values (0 to −60) for the bluish ones.This is much more precise and repeatable analysis of color than obtainedby using color charts (Ayala-Silva and Meerow, Proc. Intl. Trop. Hort.Soc., Volume 50, 138-144, 2006). The colorimeter takes three consecutivemeasurements of each sample, which was repeated three times, thus eachset of color coordinates obtained are means of nine measurements. Wherea reasonably close match could be discerned, The R.H.S. Colour Chart(Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 1966) is also referenced.

TABLE 2 Colorimeter readings under the CIELAB color space for variouslocations on the flowers of Hippeastrum hybrid ‘Orlando’. See text forexplanation of the values. Location (see FIG. 1) L*(C) a*(C) b*(C) AMEAN 27.1 48.5 22.36 STDEV 0.9 13.1 6.331 B MEAN 81.54 −0.77 5.79 STDEV0.38 0.51 0.16 C MEAN 83.07 −0.47 6.28 STDEV 0.67 0.19 0.47 D MEAN 27.7851.19 22.42 STDEV 0.93 1.09 4.47 E MEAN 29.38 50.44 21.37 STDEV 1.432.06 3.57

-   Botanical classification: Hippeastrum hybrid cultivar Orlando.-   Parentage: The female parent is a proprietary selection of the    complex cross (Hippeastrum ambiguum×H. papilio)×H. brasilianum    labeled with the breeder's code 101-5. The male or pollen parent is    the non-patented commercial Hippeastrum ‘Wonderland’.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Twin-scale cuttings (division of the mother bulb into            vertical segments and twin-scale units).        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 30 days at            temperatures of about 30° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 40 days at            temperatures of about 22° C.        -   Time to develop roots, summer.—About 65 days at temperatures            of about 30° C.        -   Time to develop roots, winter.—About 90 days at temperatures            of about 22° C.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial herbaceous amaryllis. Upright and            clumping growth habit, moderately dwarf.        -   Crop time.—From bulb scale cuttings, about two years are            required to produce a finished, flowering plant in about 15            to 20-cm container.        -   Vigor.—Moderately vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 60 cm.        -   Plant spread.—About 80 cm.-   Roots: White; numerous; fine and fibrous to moderately thick and    fleshy; produced from basal plate of bulb; freely branching.-   Bulb:    -   -   Diameter.—Approximately 6-11 cm.        -   Circumference.—Approximately 19-35 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovoid.        -   Color.—RHS 149A; tunic, RHS 165A.        -   Offsets produced per year.—About three to five offsets per            bulb.-   Foliage description.    -   -   Arrangement.—Distichous.        -   Quantity.—About 4-6 per bulb (up to 9 late in the season).        -   Length, mature leaves.—Approximately 35-45 cm early in            season, approximately 65-72 cm late in season.        -   Width, mature leaves.—About 4.5-6.5 cm.        -   Shape.—Lorate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Coarse; glabrous.        -   Color.—Young foliage, upper surface: RHS 144A. Young            foliage, lower surface: RHS 144B. Mature foliage, upper            surface: L*(C)=37.57, a*(C)=−13.41, b*(C)=18.08. Mature            foliage, lower surface: L*(C)=44.34, a*(C)=−15.71,            b*(C)=24.09.-   Flower description:    -   -   Appearance.—Wide spreading funnel-shaped single flowers            arranged in umbels borne on a leafless scape. Corolla and            calyx similar (tepals), three-parted and fused at the base:            Freely flowering, typically four open flowers per scape and            about eight to 12 flowers and flower buds per plant. Flowers            last about three or four days each. Flowers persistent.            Flowers held perpendicular to the scape.        -   Flowering response.—Plants flower in the spring. Plants            typically flower about March 10 to April 30 in Miami, Fla.        -   Fragrance.—Not detected.        -   Scape.—Length: approximately 40-65.7 cm. Diameter: About            1 cm. Appearance/aspect: Leafless; upright; not fasciated,            hollow. Strength: Moderate. Texture: Smooth. Color (apex):            L*(C)=45.01, a*(C)=−0.08, b*(C)=14.76; color (base):            L*(C)=39.02, a*(C)=9.44, b*(C)=10.76.        -   Pedicel.—Approximately 5.5-8.0 cm long.        -   Flower length.—Approximately 13-14.5 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—Approximately 14-16 cm.        -   Flower depth (height).—Approximately 17-19 cm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: about 4 cm. Width: about 1 cm. Shape:            Oblanceolate. Color: close to RHS Yellow-Green 144B in lower            half, RHS Red Purple 66A in upper half. Rate of flower bud            opening: about 2 days each, all flowers opening in about            8-10 days.        -   Tepals.—Number: six, in two whorls of 3. Fused and forming            tube in proximal approximately 2 cm. Tube green,            L*(C)=57.13, a*(C)=−13.95, b*(C)=32.79. Outer whorl: Length:            approximately 12.0-12.5 cm. Width: approximately 7.9-9.0 cm.            Shape: broadly ovate. Apex: apiculate. Margin: entire.            Texture: Smooth; petals appear luminous and crystalline.            Color: upper surface: striated RHS Red Purple 66A (Table 2),            green (RHS 144C) at base, with median pure white keels (RHS            155D) 1.3-1.5 cm wide; lower surface striations more            diffuse, with white (RHS 155D) background, white (RHS 155D)            towards middle, green (RHS 144C) towards base, keel suffused            with green (RHS 144C) near apex and on either side in the            lower ½. Inner whorl — Length of lateral: approximately            11.5-12.0 cm, ventral: approximately 12.5-12.9 cm; width of            lateral: approximately 6.5-6.9 cm, ventral: approximately            4.8-5.0 cm. Shape: ovate, the ventral tepal narrower. Apex:            apiculate. Margin: entire. Color (Table 2): striated RHS Red            Purple RHS 66A, green RHS 144C at base, with median pure            white keels RHS 155D, approximately 1.3-1.5 cm wide; lower            surface striations more diffuse, with white RHS 155D            background, white RHS 155D towards middle, green RHS 144C            towards base, keel suffused with green RHS 144C near apex            and on either side in the lower ½.        -   Throat.—Green RHS 144C, with short lacinate fimbrae.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen number: Six. Length:            approximately 8.9-10.0 cm; filaments white RHS 155D in their            distal ¾, green RHS 144C in their proximal ¼. Anther shape:            elliptic. Anther size: About 7 mm. Anther color: white RHS            155D. Pollen amount: moderate. Pollen color: yellow RHS 3D.            Gynoecium: Pistil number: one. Pistil length: About            11.5-12 cm. Stigma shape: tri-lobed. Stigma width: about            6-7 mm. Stigma color: white RHS 155D. Style color: white RHS            155D for ¾ length, with faint pink RHS 66A stippling below            the stigma, green RHS 144C in lower ¼. Ovary shape:            ellipsoid, ovary length: approximately 21-24 mm, ovary            width: approximately 8-10 mm, ovary color: RHS Green 141C.        -   Fruit.—A loculicidal capsule, about 2 cm long, about 3 cm            wide, papery at maturity.        -   Seed.—Seed flattened, obliquely winged, dark brown RHS 200A,            about 10 cm long, about 0.5 cm wide.-   Chromosome number: 2n=43. Plant is aneuploid (4n−1).-   Disease resistance: Plants of the new amaryllis appear resistant to    Red Scorch Fungus (Staganospora curtisii).-   Heat tolerance: Plants of the new amaryllis have demonstrated good    tolerance to high temperatures about 30 to 35° C.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of amaryllis (genus Hippeastrum)named ‘Orlando’, as illustrated and described.